Pak court adjourns trial of Lakhvi, others in 26/11 case

Islamabad: A Pakistani anti-terror court on Saturday adjourned for a week the trial of seven men, including Lashker-e-Toiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks as an application filed by them is pending with the Lahore High Court.

Judge Malik Muhammad Akram Awan of the anti-terror
court was to begin recording evidence against the accused but
adjourned the matter till January 23 in view of an application
filed by Lakhvi in the Lahore High Court seeking the transfer
of the case to another court.

"The case was adjourned as the transfer application
filed by the accused is pending with the Lahore High Court,"
Shahbaz Rajput, a lawyer for some of the accused, told a news agency.

The trial is being conducted at the high-security
Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi due to security concerns.

At the last hearing on January 6, Judge Awan rejected
applications seeking the acquittal of the seven suspects.

The court had then directed the prosecution to
present evidence against the accused at today`s hearing.

On January 12, Lakhvi filed an application in the
Lahore High Court seeking the transfer of the case from
Rawalpindi to an anti-terror court in Lahore due to a
purported threat to his life.

Lakhvi`s lawyer Khwaja Sultan contended that the LeT
commander purportedly faced a threat to his life as a number
of agents of the Indian spy agency Research and Analyses Wing
were present in Rawalpindi.

Lakhvi also complained that authorities at Adiala
Jail, where he is currently being held, were not allowing him
to meet his lawyer.

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khwaja Muhammad
Sharif, who heard the application, issued notices to the
federal Interior Secretary, Attorney General and Advocate
General of Punjab province to respond to Lakhvi’s plea at the
next hearing on January 21.